Refrigerator safety devices



Dec. 16, 1958 w, LAFFEY 2,864,326

REFRIGERATOR SAFETY DEVICES Filed July 51, 1956 INVENTOR. FIG. 3 WILLIAM J. LAFFEY ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent C 2,864,326 nnrnronnaron SAFETY DEVICES William J. Laffey, Chicago, Ill. Application July 31, 1956, Serial No. 601,318

2 Claims. or. 109- 635 My invention relates to refrigerators and like cabinets whose doors may be closed into locked position intentionally or inadvertently. At times a small child, through curiosity or with a desire to hide, has closeted itself in the interior of the refrigerator and the door has swung closed, locking the child within. Refrigerator doors carry a marginal rubber seal or gasket, and in cases such as just described the occupant usually suffocates. Some makes of refrigerators have provided internal control comprising a latch or button usable by the occupant as a safety factor to open the door, but it is understandable that a young child would not be sufficiently schooled to comprehend the instruction or employ the device. In view of the above circumstances, it is one object of the present invention to provide a mechanism for refrigerators which makes it impossible for the door to be closed when any person has entered the refrigerator.

A further object is to provide a mechanism which is operative automatically the moment a person occupies the lower compartment of the refrigerator.

An additional object is to design the novel mechanism along lines of simplicity.

With the above objects in view, a better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the lower compartment in a typical refrigerator, minus the door and showing the novel mechanism installed;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the mechanism; and

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

In accordance with the foregoing, specific reference to the drawing indicates the cabinet of the refrigerator at 10, the bottom thereof being shown at 11. The lower compartment of the refrigerator usually accommodates a large bin or container 15 for vegetables or other bulk foods. Such containerin some cases-rests on the floor of the refrigerator, while in others it slides on side wall ribs 16 a short distance above the floor.

For the purpose of the present invention, the type of refrigerator which has either an open lower compartment or one in which the container 15 slides on ribs 16 is utilized. The invention comprises mainly a platform 20 of plate metal which is placed over the fioor of the refrigerator and hinged at the rear to the side walls thereof, as indicated at 21; or, the rear end of the platform may be anchored or supported otherwise.

The front edge of the platform 20 is substantially even with the frontal opening of the compartment; and such edge has a downbend 22 at a medial point. The platform has a pair of compression springs 24 suspended from its frontal portion at laterally spaced points, such springs being attached to the platform by means of rivets 25 or other suitable fastening means. Normally, the platform is positioned according to full lines in Fig. 3.

The door of the refrigerator is indicated at 30, and has the usual thickened internal portion 32 over most of its area and the rubber seal or gasket 33 around its edge. The bottom of the door has an internal ledge 35 ice which closes against the bottom of the refrigerator; and the downbend 22 occurs directly over the ledge 35 when the refrigerator door is closed.

While the container 15 would naturally form a bar to the entrance and closeting of a small occupant, such container may be out of the refrigerator at the time; or, the refrigerator may be an abandoned one without a vegetable container in it. In these events, space is afforded for the entrance of a small child into the refrigerator on opening the door. In the use of the present invention, however, the weight of the child on the platform 20 would depress the same while the door is still 1 open to locate the downbend 22 immediately in front of the bottom of the refrigerator, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3. In such event, the door 32-whether it swings closed of itself or is pushed to close by another child-cannot close fully or to the extent of becoming locked, as the downbend 22 is directly in the path of the bottom portion of the door. Thus, a sufiicient marginal space will remain as the door closes incompletely to afford ample ventilation in the refrigerator and safety to the occupant thereof. Also, no external attempt to push the door into fully closed or locked position can succeed as long as the downbend 22 forms a stop to the full closing of the door.

It will now be apparent that the novel mechanism is an efiicient improvement for the purpose stated. It does not interfere in any way with the vegetable container or movement thereof when the refrigerator is in proper use. However, when the container is out, or a refrigerator equipped with the novel mechanism does not employ a container or other facility in its lower compartment, the platform is at all times in readiness in case a child enters the refrigerator to put in effect an obstacle to the closing of the door. Further, the mechanism has no motive connection with the door, being carried fully by the refrigerator body. Finally, the mechanism is of utmost simplicity and is not in any way conspicuous or ordinarily noticeable.

While I have described the invention along specific lines, various minor changes or refinements may be made therein without departing from its principle, and I reserve the right to employ all such changes and refinements as may come within the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a refrigerator having a floor portion, and a hinged door, said floor having at least one longitudinal recess adjacent said floor portion of said refrigerator and having a substantially flush bottom portion below said recess and extending nearer said floor portion than the outer extent of said recess; of a platform pivotally mounted in the rear portion of said refrigerator adjacent said floor portion at one end thereof and its forward end positioned outwardly beyond the forward edge of said floor portion, said platform having a raised position and a lower weighted position, said platform being movable from an upper position in which its foward end is in horizontal alignment with said recess to a lower weighted position in horizontal alignment with said bottom portion beyond the forward edge of the floor portion engaging said flush bottom portion of said door at a position in its closing path outwardly of the fully closed position and thereby preventing same from closing, spring means supporting said platform in said raised position at an angle to said floor portion and with the forward end of the platform in horizontal alignment with said recess, and said spring means being compressible when said platform is weighted to permit the forward end of same to move downwardly into said weighted position.

2. The combination with a refrigerator having a 1100:

portion, and a hinged door, said door having at least one longitudinal recess adjacent said floor portion of said refrigerator and having a substantially flush bottom portion below said recess and extending nearer said floor portion than the outer extent of said recess; of a platform having a downward frontal projection at the forward end thereof and positioned outwardly beyond the forward edge of said floor portion and a rear end pivotally mounted in the rear portion of said refrigerator adjacent said floor portion, said platform having a raised position and a lower weighted position, said platform and said downward frontal projection being movable from an upper position in which it is in horizontal alignment with said recess to a lower weighted position in horizontal alignment with said bottom portion beyond the forward edge of said floor portion to engage said fiush bottom portion of said door at a position in its closing path outwardly of the fully closed position and thereby preventing same from closing, spring means supporting said platform in said raised position at an angle to said floor portion and with said frontal projection in horizontal alignment with said recess, and said spring means being compressible when said platform is weighted to permit said projection to move downwardly into said weighted position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,271,363 Ralston July 2, 1918 1,287,173 Andersson Dec. 10, 1918 1,300,320 Winter Apr. 15, 1919 1,457,962 Chambers June 5, 1923 2,733,090 Coplen Ian. 31, 1956 2,783,722 Fletcher Mar. 5, 1957 

